If you're trying to create a dreamy flying-through-the-clouds sequence without renting a plane, helicopter, or even a special effects cloud tank, Jeff Farmer has your solution. All you need is a copy of Photoshop, Motion, four cloud stills photographed from the ground, and a heck of a lot of skill.

In this latest video from XNcreative they show you how to dissect and re-assemble sections of the clouds from your various photos using Photoshop. And then how to convincingly animate them in Motion to create the illusion that the viewer is actually flying through a cloudscape.

The video does lay out the basic steps required, but it doesn't go into much detail on how you actually cut out and properly feather the edges of a cloud. So if you're a Photoshop novice, this tutorial probably isn't going to answer all of your questions. But if you already know what your'e doing, stick around for a bonus how-to at the end showing a neat trick that makes this animation seem like you're flying through the clouds on a distant planet instead. [Vimeo via Planet5D via PetaPixel]